Singin' in the Rain

Just try to say that title without singing it for days! I'm not a big fan of old musicals, but I was genuinely surprised at how much I enjoyed this movie. There are many reasons it's a Hollywood classic.

The basic plot is about the end of silent films, and the ways in which actors had to adapt to the new medium of sound. Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly) is learning to make those changes to move into the next realm of his career, and the audience is engaged and rooting for him. The real history of this transition is hinted at with the diction coaches, the scramble to update equipment, and the stars that got lost in the scuffle.

The song and dance helps drive the plot and is at the same time a fun break. The singing is great, but the dancing is the best part -- it is Gene Kelly after all. The dance numbers are athletic wonders and aesthetically appealing. When they break into song, you're ready and waiting for what will come next.

I liked the way the movie treated the subjects of movie making, and Hollywood's many ways of manipulating an audience. During "Make 'em Laugh", Cosmo (Donald O'Connor) dances his way through sets, and when Don tells Kathy Seldon (Debbie Reynolds) about his feelings for her, he manipulates the set around her to create the mood. The fake romance between Don and Lina is part of the Hollywood manipulation, and adds an interesting dimension to the plot. 

In a narrative at the beginning of the movie, Don tells his adoring fans about his rise to stardom. The movie audience is given the real story with scenes from his life. The contrast between the story Don is telling and what happens on screen has a way of both endearing Don to us and setting him up as insecure and caught up in the Hollywood scene. It establishes his clear and enduring friendship with Cosmo, which we enjoy for the rest of the movie.

Quite possibly the best part of the movie is the title song and dance routine. I was amazed to learn that it was done in one take and mostly ad-libbed. It's easy to see why Gene Kelly has the reputation he has as a talented all-round performer.

As Lina Lamont moves from a silly, brainless sideline to an evil plotter, we are happy to see her expose herself as a fake in the final scenes. It's also rewarding to hear Don finally stand up for Kathy in view of the fans. In this way he's bringing his relationship with her forward, and at the same time acknowledging that his image is less important than reality.

This movie hasn't lost much in the years since it was filmed, and is definitely worth seeing for the first time.